Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-03-25
Mr.. SHERMAN SOUTH
HE ADDRESSES A GATHERING LAST NIGHT
IN NASHVILLE, TENN.
he Descants Upon the Principles Of the Republican
Party, Which HsRxplains Too Lucidly for
His PurpOSe-Ths Color Line
Nothing Of the TsrfF.


NASHVILLE, Tenn, March Ex-senator
Sherman spoke here tonight at the Capt.
tol. He was greeted by a large audince
which gave him close and respectful at
tention throughout The Senator spoke as
follows:
FELLOW CTTIZENS-I accepted the invi-
tation of the Republican members OF the
Legislature Of Tennessee, TO address them
Oh this occasion, not so much with the
hope that | could encourage them by an
expression of the hearty sympathy of the
Republicans of the United States in their
gallant struggle for Republican principles,
as from the belief entertain that fair
presentation made to the people of Tennes'
see without distinction of party, OF the
aims and principles OF our party, both in
the past and in the future might induce
them to Join with us in a public policy
that will contribute to the interests of the
people of Tennessee, and of the whole
country, more and greater benefits and ad'
vantages than can possibly be conferred
upon them by the Democratic party.
have felt that the
DIFFERENCES THAT GREW OUT OF THE WAR
now hold large body of honest and pa.
triotic citizens of the South from cooper
ating with the Republican party who in
my Judgment are in sympathy with us,
that perhaps | might be able TO dispel
these prejudices by frank statement OF
the views which have actuated the Repub,
lican party in the past, and thus bring us
INTO cooperation in measures tending ia
advance the common interests and pros
perity of our country. At all events feel
confident that the people of Tennessee,
who from the very earliest settlement have
been distinguished for their courage and
independence, will give "a stranger among
them fair show for his honest opinions.
When ] first entered the political field was
in hearty sympathy with the majority ofthe
people of Tennessee. ] was a disciple OF
the school of politics Of which Henry Clay
and John Bell were leaders. was taught
to love union and cling to it as the an
chOr of safety never TO he diminished in
strength OF power, but to be increased and
strengthened; that | was citizen, not OF
Ohio or Tennessee, hut of the United
States claiming one great covering with its
simple folds every citizen of the republic
wherever his wandering steps might lead
him. was also taught to believe that the
Constitution of the United States was the
bond of federal union written by our
fathers with more than human wisdom,
that IL ShnnlH hn Strnstnl StTInt u
like an Indictment not like a bond framed
by an usurer which a cunning Portia
might construe away by subtle reasoning
but charter of liberty, To I've construed
literally 81 as to carry out all the objects
of its founders. In other words, ! looked
upon our Government ~
A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT WITH GREAT
POWERS, SUPREME
within the limits of those powers and with
general court selected rs the sole final
tribunal to pass upon the limits and eX-
tent of those pOwe;Gs. ] was also taught
to love and respect the rights of the States
and regard them as the agents of the peo
pie for lOca, purposes precisely AZ the gen
eral government is the agent of the people
for national purposes that they were tn hC
loved and respected IA the guardians ot
personal rights, of religions of property
and society, and that the love of ones STATE
was entirely consistent with the love of
country, aS the love of mother is with that
of father. State rights, as distinguished
from national authority, has been the dis.
turbing element of American politics.
To the people at large both
State and national are conve.
nient agencies for the exercise of distinct
and separate owners for the common good.
To the individual citizen they are the guar.
dians of distinct and separate rights and
privileges for which we owe allegiance and
duty. They are not hostile spheres but
like the planets moving in the grand har.
mony of the universe, in friendly cooper,
alton; but it is the people, the whole peo-
pie and nothing but the people that is the
governing and paramount factor OF our sys-
TEN. This at least is the theory ! have
been taught, and if any of you reared in
school have inherited jealousy and suS.
piciOn of Federal authority and of especial
reverence for that of the State Of Tennessee,
you may find in this the germ of the con-
troversy fought out in the war. II un'
derstand the
PRINCIPLES OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
wOuld say they are embraced in the tim,
ity OF Union, Constitution and Country,
the preservation of the Union, the main
tenance of the full powers of the COnstitu-
tion and the growth of prosperity and the
fsran nlanr nf N oil ito no rtQ
as il is now or has been. These ideas we
inherit from the wisest statesman in Amer
lean history, and now since they have been
reafiirmed by the war, there is nothing 10
divide American citizens by sectional lines
but prejudice and passion. This was not
40 before the war. Our fathers found in
most of the States a system OF servitude in
consistent with the genius of her instItu-
tiOns.
THE COLOR LINE.
They did not understand TO deal with
it, nor was the feeling against slavery con-
fined to sectional lines. The most elo.
quent denunciatiOn Of slavery came from
jefferson and Madison, and it had its in
teTested defenders both North and South.
Our fathers found il and left il as local
institution to the States, but provided
that fugtives from service escaping from
one State to another should he surrendered
to the owner.
was glad TO hear, in passing through
several Southern States, conversations
that show public sentiment now re-
volts at the unlawful methods to
defeat our free exercise OF equal
rights of citizens that have been
adopted in several States are still practiced
49, l-nnv-, M ,ha bla,I